#unitythroughfaith

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. -Ephesians 1:7-10, ESV

There are a million different ways to describe the miraculous work that Christ did when he died on the Christ, but tonight I want to concentrate on one aspect that is rarely discussed: In Christ's death and resurrection, we were not only sanctified, justified, and redeemed, we were also unified with God and with one another.

The wages of sin is death, but that death is not just physical, it is also spiritual!  When sin entered man's heart, we were separated from God.  In Genesis, after creating Adam, God literally walked in the Garden of Eden with him, communicated with him, and attended to his every need.  When sin entered into the hearts of man, that Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden, and no man after had that relationship with God.  (Romans 5:12-18).   Paul told the members of the church of Ephesus that before they knew God "were dead in the trespasses and sins"  (Ephesians 2:1) and said that all from Adam on literally were dead by sin (Romans 5:12).  Sin literally prevents us from unity with God; sin prevents us from having that intimate relationship that both God and Man want and would leave us wanting.

When Jesus died on the Cross, the veil of sin separating us from God was removed (Hebrews 9).  In other words, God made us "alive together with Christ" (Ephesians 2:5).  This was God's plan since sin first entered the hearts of man (Genesis 3:15), because God again desired to unite us under him, principally because he loves us (Ephesians 2:4).

When we are unified under him, we are also unified as a body of believers--if everyone is unified under the same God who does not change, how can we be separate?  In Paul's charge to the Ephesians, he actually tells them to bear with one another in love (4:2).  God has united us, but we are charged with maintaining that relationship not only with him, but also one another.

If God would have us unified under him and with one another in love, Satan would have the opposite; enmity between one another will distract us from the fact that we are all of "one body and one spirit" with one common purpose (4:4).  If we forget that, we can lose touch not only our unity with one another, but also with God and his Spirit which leads us.  

This is by no means a novel idea; Paul cautions the churches to beware of foolish philosophy and theology in many of his letters, knowing that both can act as such a distraction.  As an example, Paul's writing suggests baptism was a big theological issue at his time.  While Paul speaks of unity, he also asserts, "There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call--one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and Father of all, who is over all through all and in all" (4:4-6).  What matters most: the way a person is baptized?  The person who baptizes you?  Or the Spirit whereby your are baptized?  It is no wonder Satan would prefer us to concentrate on the former two items--it keeps us from considering the latter!